Hello, Goodbye
by StarCrossdSparrow
Summary: The boys meet another huntress. But is she everything she appears to be?


**Title:** Hello, GoodbyeAuthor: StarCrossdSparrow  
**Characters / Pairing:** Dean/OFC, Sam  
**Rating:** Hard R  
**Warning: **Light smut and swearing  
**Chapter:** 1/1  
**Word Count:** 9500  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything... I don't even pwn anything. Kripke is the master of the _Supernatural_verse; I just live and die in it. Oh, and I don't own The Beatles either.  
** Spoilers:** After 2.15, "Tall Tales" & before 2.17, "Heart"  
** Summary: **You never know who you might meet on the hunt.  
** Author's Note 1: **I am so lucky to have my dear beta, Erin. She's inspiration, support, and grammarian extraordinaire – and of course, overprotective of Dean.  
** AN2:** This is my very first _Supernatural_ fic, as well as my first original female character, so please give me your honest reaction, however harsh it really is – I can take it!

**XxX**

"There's been six deaths in Gila County in the past week."

Dean glanced up from his coffee, glaring at his brother. "Arizona? I fucking hate Arizona, man."

"How'd you know I was even talking about Arizona?" Sam asked, meeting Dean's gaze over the paper in his hands.

"'Cause they're the only state who'd name a county after a monster, Sammy. And who cares if six people died? It's _Arizona_ – they probably died of heat stroke or boredom."

"Well, for one thing, the town listed, uh," Sam looked back down at the newspaper article before going on, "Winkelman? The population is only about four hundred. That's a notable amount of deaths in such a short time, don't you think?"

Dean shrugged, taking a last gulp of lukewarm coffee. He figured if Sam was on the scent, he probably wasn't going to get to hang around in the sleepy California town they'd stopped in for much longer. And a piece of cherry pie for dessert was probably _not_ in the cards.

Sam went on, "Uh, there's a few different causes of death – three of the victim's throats were ripped out, two were beheaded, one was stabbed, and one was 'excoriated.'"

"Excoriated?" Dean sputtered.

"Yeah, it means -"

"I know what it means, college boy, I just didn't figure the, uh," Dean tapped the newspaper in Sam's hands, checking out the title, "The _Ukiah Daily Journal_ would know what it meant."

"I think it's worth checking into. How far away are we?"

"About a day's drive."

Sam stood, counting out some bills for a tip. Tossing the cash on the table, he headed for the car. As he followed, Dean picked up half the generous tip and stuffed it into his pocket.

**XxX**

"Why is it always fucking vampires?" Dean complained as they armed themselves with machetes. "I thought they were almost extinct, and we run into them more than anything."

Sam shook his head, "Well, they're the only thing that fits. They really don't have a pattern – it seems like sometimes they kill for food and sometimes for sport. And the one that was beheaded had to have been one of their own."

Dean slammed the trunk closed. "Turning on a member of the coven?"

"I think a coven is just for witches."

"Whatever. Really, I don't care what they're called as long as they're called dead at the end of the day."

"This place certainly has a sordid history, though. I mean, a serial killer, a UFO sighting, and that Apache Kid thing?" Sam continued quietly, sighting his crossbow as they stalked toward the vampire nest.

Dean snorted, "Yeah, well when you don't have anything better to do than watch the desert get fucking hotter, you make up stories. Half the stuff in that book was probably bullshit. Let's just concentrate on finishing this. I could really use a trip to Vegas, and if we can get through this quickly, we can be there by sunup."

"How can you even think of taking a vacation, Dean? We're so close to the demon, man. I can _feel_ it."

Dean glared at his brother, but the force of the look was lost as Sam was scanning the woods for the barn. "It's not a vacation, Sammy. We're kind of low on funds if you haven't noticed, and it's been real difficult to run the credit card angle since I got picked up back in Baltimore. I figure with your _Rainman_ mind-fuck powers, we could win big and coast the rest of the way." Sam looked sharply back at Dean, who just smiled. "Focus on the hunt, bro."

Sam rolled his eyes, and turned his attention back to the dark woods before them.

Dean was the first to shoot, reloading the bow immediately and sending another arrow toward an approaching vampire. Both bolts hit their intended targets, and the vampires fell to their knees, sweat already breaking out on their pale faces.

The first to fall grasped at the shaft protruding from his chest. "Blood poison!" he snarled. Louder, he called out, "Stay back! They know!"

"Damn right we do. And the sooner you all show yourselves, the quicker we can do this." Dean yelled back, withdrawing the machete from where he'd slung it across his back. He heard his brother already slicing away at someone – some_thing_ – to his right, so he made quick work of the vampires in front of him.

He caught movement to his left, and he turned toward it, swinging the machete in a wide arc. As he followed the sweep of the blade, he felt the cold bite of steel against his throat, and stopped his weapon just short of a porcelain white neck. The eyes that locked with his weren't a vampire's cold, penetrating stare; they were hazel and glittered with victory. Human eyes.

"Drop it, or you'll be getting a closer shave than what you're used to," the girl holding the sword demanded.

Dean was momentarily taken aback by the big voice that issued from such a little slip of woman. Still, he held his weapon, only backing it off slightly. He heard the rustle of branches breaking to his right, but didn't dare turn toward it.

"Dean!" Sam exclaimed, obviously surprised to see his brother on the wrong end of a sword.

"Back off, kid," the woman went on, pressing the sharp blade a little closer to Dean's Adam's apple. He was suddenly very afraid of taking too deep a breath, and he was almost relieved when Sam dropped his crossbow and put his hands in the air.

"Just let him go, okay? We're going," Sam pleaded levelly. "We only got three of your friends, so no harm, no foul, right?"

Dean closed his eyes and winced; why couldn't his brother just keep the stats to himself?

To his surprise, he heard the tinkle of feminine laughter in response, and the bite of the sword was gone from his throat. When he reopened his eyes, he watched the girl who'd been holding him at bay neatly cleaning the blade of her shining broadsword. She moved the thing like an extension of her arm. Dean felt clumsy for the way he was still clutching his dirty machete so roughly in one hand, and he'd been handling weapons almost as long as he could remember. It made him wonder how long the brunette standing across from him, now smiling at Sam, had been using them.

"They're not my friends," she explained, "And if you wasted some, I guess I owe you my thanks. Who are you guys, anyway?"

Sam was about to answer, but Dean cleared his throat and spoke up. "I'm John, and this is Paul. We're -"

The girl cut him off with another boisterous laugh. "Beatles? Or Apostles?"

Dean scowled, but Sam laughed in response. "Neither. Don't mind my brother. Are you a hunter?"

The girl stepped forward and shook Sam's outstretched hand warmly. "Yeah. I mean, I guess so. Audrey Ryan. And you are?"

"Sam, and this is my brother, Dean." He paused a moment before adding, "Winchester."

"Nice to meet you." Audrey glanced at Dean, smirking. "_Both_ of you."

Dean stepped closer to his brother. "What do you mean, you _guess_ you're a hunter? It's not exactly a million dollar question."

Audrey turned toward him, appraising him with a singularly long glance. Dean shifted under her scrutiny. She was at least a foot shorter than him and probably about a hundred pounds lighter, but her gaze was so intense, it made him feel small and insignificant.

Finally she met his eyes, smiling brightly, looking impossibly full of pep beneath her sweaty, dirt-smudged visage. "Why don't you guys come back to my house, and I'll tell you about it?"

Dean lifted an eyebrow. Was this girl dense? There was no way -

"Sounds good. Thanks," Sam replied gladly.

"Sam!" Dean burst out, looking at his brother incredulously. He tossed his gaze back to an amused-looking Audrey. "Uh, I need to talk to my brother for a moment."

"Sure," she replied pertly, sliding her newly clean sword into the halter across her back.

"Uh, Sammy? Have you gone temporarily insane?" Dean asked once they'd walked out of earshot.

"No, why? This chick kills vampires. I'm gonna put her down for 'Side of Good,'" he came back. "What's your problem, anyway? Mad 'cause she almost had your head?"

Dean snorted derisively. "She'd never. _I_ let _her_ live, man, and have you forgotten about Gordon?"

"Yeah, well, whatever. I just get a good feeling about her. She seems nice."

"That 'feeling?' It's called thinking with junior, Sammy."

Sam rolled his eyes and walked back toward Audrey. Dean watched as she smiled up at him. Great, now he'd have to spend his night watching them play footsie. Looks like he'd lost Vegas, too. He should have had that cherry pie when he'd had the chance.

**XxX**

Audrey's house was nice, if a bit small. It was well-lived in, and obviously loved. Dean made it a point not to think much about decor, but he could tell that this chick liked her comfort. Everything in the house was _soft_. Even the wooden chairs around the kitchen table were padded, and a worn cotton cloth covered the table. Dean started to warm up to her when she offered beer, then practically kissed her ring when she reheated fried chicken for them.

He chewed on the chicken Sam hadn't finished (so delicious - God_damn_!) while Sam chatted Audrey up over their cups of coffee. He liked the look on his brother's face when he talked to this girl. Sure, he was no pro like Dean himself was ('cause if Dean had wanted her, he'd have already _had_ her - twice), but still, Sam looked glad. Maybe it was just because they didn't usually get a chance to relax after such a short hunt, or maybe it was because Sam never talked to chicks. He said it was because of Jess, but Dean thought it was more because he didn't like lying to 'em and leavin' 'em. Dean was okay with both. Hell, he preferred it.

Finally pushing his empty plate away, he interrupted the conversation they were having about some shit Dean had only half paid attention to. "So, hunting? How'd you get into it?"

Audrey looked up at him, a fleeting bit of darkness chasing the sparkle out of her warm, toffee-colored eyes. Just as soon as Dean saw it, it was gone, and she was smiling cheerfully. "Well, I guess I don't know. It was about six or seven months ago." She paused, and Dean saw her fingers twitch subtly. He knew that tic; he always counted on his fingers, too. But one too many raps on one's knuckles for getting caught would scare it out of a person. "Seven," she corrected. "My gram died in August, and right after... I don't know. I just felt..." she paused, seeming to search for the word. She shrugged when she found it. "Different."

Dean saw Sam's eyebrows shoot up, and Sam asked, "Different how?"

Audrey chewed her lower lip a moment. "Well, you can't think I'm any weirder than you already do, right?"

The brothers exchanged a look, Sam's curious and Dean's arch.

Audrey laughed, but it was a mirthless, hollow sound. "I'll take that as a resounding 'yes.'"

Sam went on, "No, I just... I mean, something started happening to me about a year ago. Right after my birthday. My _twenty second_ birthday."

Audrey merely nodded, either not noticing Sam's not-so-subtle hint, or ignoring it. "Oh. Well, I just... I," she dropped her head, cradling it in her hands. "It's weird, okay? And I can tell you're both thinking I'm crazy already."

"No," Dean tried to assure her. "Trust me, we've seen some freaky shit."

"Even freakier than a chick killing vampires?" she asked, meeting Dean's steady gaze.

Dean blinked. He'd just been thinking that - those _exact_ words, actually - but for once, he was keeping his mouth in check. He didn't want to ruin Sammy's chances with her.

She grinned at Dean before turning her smile on Sam. "Still want to know what's up with me?"

"Of course," Sam replied in his best 'we're here for you' voice, reaching out and laying his hand over hers. Dean resisted the automatic eye-roll.

"I can read minds." She'd said it so bluntly, so blankly, Dean wasn't sure he'd even heard her right.

"Oh, yeah," she went on, sarcasm darkly coloring her words. "People's thoughts, people's gut reactions, whatever screwy stuff they've got going on upstairs, I can just see it."

Dean watched his brother blink, a sure sign Sam was processing the new information. Sam sat back, his hand still covering hers on the table. He was buying it!

A maybe-hunter who could read minds? Dean snorted indelicately. "Bullshit. No way."

"Don't believe me?" She smirked at him, withdrawing her hand from Sam's and steepling her fingers beneath her chin. If she'd had on a pair of thick, black glasses, she would have looked like a shrink. Dean tried his best to stay still in the face of her intense scrutiny.

"Well then, Dean Winchester, try me."

"_Try_ you?" he sputtered. If she could read his thoughts, she'd know exactly what sort of try-out just played in his mind.

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Could we go for a degree of difficulty here? You thinking about me like _that_ isn't exactly a stretch of my mental prowess. Any girl walking down the street would have guessed it. You're really rather transparent."

Sam shot him a dark look, and Dean got the chance to use his saved-up eye-roll. "What'll you have me do? Do I have to concentrate on my happy place? Shouldn't you wave something in front of my eyes, maybe swing a pendant and tell me I'm getting sleepy?"

She wrinkled her nose, obviously annoyed. "First of all, I'm not hypnotizing you, and secondly, you don't have to believe me. I'm just telling you what's what."

"Fine." He tried to clear his mind, not wishing to give her further fodder for picking his brain. But, as usual, his mind worked against him, and a whole parade of things began rolling around, and Audrey began reciting everything that popped up.

"Maracas. Marrakesh," she paused to consider. "I think it's in Morroco. And don't swear so much!" She fixed him with a stern look, and Dean lifted one corner of his mouth in a smirk. If she wanted to read his mind, well, he'd give her some fine reading material.

She grimaced and went on. "Me in a black bikini. Me in a red bikini. Me in a white bikini, waxing your car. Must I go on? I think I might have to take a break to vomit."

"No, you can stop," Sam piped up, shaking his head at Dean. "Sorry 'bout my brother, Audrey."

"Do you have to apologize for him often?" she asked coolly.

"Why do you even ask questions?" Dean snapped.

She faced him once more. "Because I only do it when I want to. It's very invasive, you know. You wouldn't believe - no, wait, _you_ would." She turned back to Sam. "Some of the stuff that people think about... it's just... unsettling. Not like 'alert the FBI' unsettling, either. Just," she shrugged again, screwing her face up in disgust. "Gross."

"So it didn't start right around your twenty second birthday?" Sam asked, looking perplexed. Dean could hardly believe it - his brother really did have to make everything about that damnable demon.

Audrey shook her head and laughed - it was that same tinkling sound that had so startled Dean earlier in the woods. "No, hon. I'm twenty-six, but thanks for thinking I can still pass for younger."

Dean resisted the urge to snort when his brother dropped his gaze from Audrey's, and a blush crept up his throat. Shaking his head, he asked, "So you can, like, turn it off and on?"

She nodded. "Yeah, well, I can _now_. When it first started, it just _happened_. It was weird, you know? I lived with my gram before she died. I actually grew up in the house - she raised me. Well, she left me the house since my dad and my aunt live too far away to want the property. I was going through the papers and talking to lawyers and real estate people 'cause I really wanted to sell it and move to Colorado to be nearer to my dad. I even had a new job all lined up - I'm a loan officer, and my bank was just going to move me to a new branch." She paused, shaking her head. "It was just...odd. I was sitting right here in the kitchen, talking to a real estate agent. She was patting my hand, telling me I was making the right decision. She told me the house and property was appraised at $70,000. I thought that was ridiculously low, but I wanted to get rid of it, so I didn't think to get another appraisal. But as she was sitting there, I could just _hear_ her planning to list it for $120,000! She was bilking me!"

Audrey took a deep breath before continuing. "I knew then that I couldn't sell. Really, I just thought it was a one-time thing, you know, like a _feeling_? Everyone gets those." She shook her head with a sigh. "But it kept _happening_... at work, at the grocery store, in traffic. It was maddening. I took a vacation from work, tried to clear my head. I thought I was going batshit crazy."

Dean quirked an eyebrow, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm _not_ crazy."

"Get out of my head!" he shot back.

"I don't even have to try with you - you broadcast your thoughts and emotions so loud and clear, you might as well be shouting them through a megaphone."

Dean snorted. "I do _not_!"

He watched as Sam and Audrey exchanged a look. "What? I _don't_!" he went on, petulantly.

Sam ignored him. "So, what then, while you were on vacation? How'd you learn to control it."

Audrey looked down at the her hands folded over the tablecloth. "Well, honestly, I don't know."

"For someone who can _read minds_, you sure don't know a whole lot," Dean snapped.

"Dean!" Sam exclaimed. He turned back to Audrey. "I'm sorry. Go on."

She nodded, not even favoring Dean with a glance. He folded his arms across his chest and tipped the chair back on two legs, watching the pair of them with a look of disgust. _'Broadcast' my emotions, my ass!_

Audrey continued. "Well, first I went to a psychologist. Well, he _obviously_ didn't believe me. He prescribed me some anti-depressants and told me to find a friend to stay with me." She snorted derisively. "_Big_ help. So, I figured, if I'm crazy, I might as well go all out, right? I went to a psychic. I thought if I could read people's thoughts, it was only logical that someone else could, too."

When she paused, Sam returned a comforting hand to hers. Dean nearly choked on his beer. This was really fucking laughable. They both glanced sharply at him, and he mumbled an apology, shaking the empty bottle.

"There's more in the fridge," Audrey informed him. She looked back at Sam and pressed on with her story. "Well, when I was there, I could hear her thoughts, too. They weren't mirroring mine, that's for sure. She was thinking about having to get her minivan fixed and getting her son home from basketball practice." Audrey laughed, but it was a small, pitiable sound only one shade higher than a sob. "I figured I was fucked for sure. Really whacked. When I was leaving, she gave me some stupid necklace to wear for protection - protection from what? Myself? As far as I could see, _I_ was the problem."

Dean sat back down at the table, twisting the cap off of the beer and taking a swallow. He gestured to her with the neck. "So, you never said how you started hunting."

Audrey shrugged. "About two weeks ago, I was jogging in the park, and this thing grabbed me. I didn't know at the time, but it was a vampire. Normally, I'm pretty weak, right? Like, I never would have been able to fight off someone my own size, let alone someone a foot taller than me with preternatural strength." She lifted her arm and curled her fist, flexing what Dean supposed was her bicep. She was right - she was hardly a body builder. "But I _could_. I just wrestled the guy away and fled. Of course I saw his face before I left - it was something I'll never forget. When I got in, I bolted the doors and windows. After I drank about a half a bottle of Wild Turkey, I started looking around the Internet for an explanation. I found a lot of stuff, of course, but nothing that would really help me. I mean, stakes, sunlight, crosses? I knew that from watching horror movies. I never thought any of it was real."

She shook her head and stood to refresh her and Sam's coffee. "But then I saw that there were a bunch of murders in towns relatively nearby - you know, places I've heard mentioned on the local news. Probably all within a hundred mile radius of Phoenix. They began about forty years ago, but were pretty sporadic and spread around. All the victims had their throats ripped out." She chuckled again, this time low and throaty, frayed around the edges by sadness. Sliding into her chair, she passed Sam his mug. "I can't believe it, but _that's_ what made me feel better. Twenty-nine people murdered by what I assumed to be vampires made _me_ feel like _I_ wasn't crazy."

"So you got yourself a sword and went on the hunt?" Dean asked, still skeptical and already in need of a third beer.

"Not exactly. I stayed home, hiding from the world, pretending that everything I knew was wrong and everything would be fine if I just rested or something. Then a couple of days ago, the girl I normally jog with came home from vacation. She called to meet me at the park, but by the time I got there, she was gone. I knew she hadn't left without me; she never does. I came home and unearthed that ridiculous sword - it was a replica of some sword from a movie that my Dad liked growing up. I wasn't even sure it would work. I went back to where I'd fought the guy off, and found Renee's iPod in the dirt. There were a lot of footprints, and then it looked like she was dragged into the woods. I just followed." She paused and pulled in a huge breath, meeting both Dean's and Sam's gaze in turn. "When I found her..." she blinked and tried to take a steadying breath. Tears were filling her eyes, and she dropped her gaze back to the table, shaking her head.

"It's okay, Audrey, you couldn't have-" Sam started.

"I shouldn't have left her!" She cut across him, lifting her head. "If I hadn't come home, I could have saved her! She was _right there_!"

"Without a weapon, you wouldn't have been able to do anything but get killed," Dean put in sensibly.

When she met his gaze, he saw that familiar burn in her eyes, that fleeting darkness that told him she'd killed, she'd kill again, but it had hurt her. She nodded slowly. "So I went further into the woods until I found them. There were only two, sitting on the hood of a car, drinking." She swallowed hard, took a steady breath, and lifted her chin indignantly, visibly steeling herself to tell them what happened next. "I killed them."

A silence filled the room, stark and oppressive after Audrey's tale. Dean saw Sam shift slightly closer to Audrey. "Hey," his brother began softly. When she met his eyes, Dean saw tears begin to spill over her lids, sliding down her cheeks, making them shine beneath the cheerfully bright kitchen lamp. He was glad for Sam's presence - when chicks started crying, he never knew what to say. While his brother might not be the best at seduction, he had the girly-girl emotion thing all wrapped up. "It's okay. You did what was right. Your friend would thank you."

She shook her head. "I _killed_ people, Sam. And I couldn't tell anyone. I just came home, finished my bourbon, and cried myself to sleep in my living room. I just... I never felt so alone in my life."

Dean stood, going to the fridge for one last beer to shake up the tension in the room. "You didn't _kill_ anyone; you killed a _thing_. A thing that killed _your_ friend. Sam's right, you did what was right."

His brother looked up at him, nodding his thanks. Dean shrugged and plopped down into his chair.

Audrey sat up, scrubbing her hands over her face. She laughed, self-deprecatingly, "Sorry, guys. I just... it was rather fresh, you know? And it's not like I've been able to tell anyone. That's why I went out there tonight. Since no one had come looking for me or anything, I figured I could finish 'em."

Dean lifted his bottle in a silent toast before taking a long pull. Sam sat back in his chair, watching Audrey. "So, uh, this is going to sound like a weird question, but..."

"Oh, leave it alone, Sammy. We already know she's not a member of your little club," Dean groaned.

Audrey raised an eyebrow, looking between him and Sam. "Club? Oh, _please_ tell me there's a secret handshake."

Sam laughed. "No, it's nothing... just, your mom didn't die in a house fire, did she?"

Audrey shook her head. "No, my mother moved to Jamaica with her new husband and baby when I was twelve. I haven't seen her since." She said it nonchalantly, but Dean noticed she wasn't especially good at hiding her emotions, either. Bitterness was written all over the small angry twist of her mouth, the subtle I-don't-need-nobody lift of her chin, and the cold glint in her eyes.

Dean arched an eyebrow - maybe mind-reading was catching? He shook off the notion, and faked a yawn. The least he could do to help his brother was leave him alone with Audrey. She might be a pain in the ass, but she was cute, and he figured fucking a girl who could read minds would do Sam a lot of good. "Well, I'm pretty beat. Sammy had us drive all the way here without stopping. Uh, I guess I'll go back and check into that motel on seventy-seven, 'kay, Sam?"

Sam turned his attention away from Audrey for a moment, nodding absently. "Yeah, sure. I'll be right there."

Dean began to protest - was his brother _really_ that dense? Audrey had done everything except give him a lap dance! But she cut Dean off with her own protest. "Oh, no you're not. My gram taught me better than that. She told me if someone helps me slay the undead, I have to be hospitable." When Dean and Sam exchanged a glance, she laughed. "Or something like that. You're both staying here, and I won't take no for an answer."

Dean stood, "No, it's okay, really. I don't mind. I don't want to be in the way."

She held up a staying hand. "Oh, please. You really want to go back to a seedy motel to some bed where someone's done God only knows what on sheets that..." she shuddered, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "No, I have a guest room and a sleeper sofa. I promise you, it's better than anything they have at the Siesta Motel and Six-Pack Shop."

Dean saw Sam's face light up at the idea. His brother really _was_ the dumbest genius he'd ever met. He arched an eyebrow down at the diminutive brunette, amused by the firm set of her jaw; she was so sure she'd won. Dean wasn't sure she hadn't, but he had to keep up the fight - a Winchester did not back down, even in the face of such logic. "Yeah, but _you_ don't have dancers nightly like the Siesta. Or," he glanced around the kitchen, "_Do_ you?"

She laughed and stood. For one heart-stopping moment, Dean was positive she was going to produce a stripper pole from somewhere. Instead, she turned toward the fridge, and bent to rummage around in it. At least Sam had the good taste to watch her ass wiggle as she pulled something from the bottom shelf. When she turned around, she was holding a pie plate. Filled with a half-eaten pie. A _cherry_ pie. "But they don't have this."

"Well, fuck," Dean said with a laugh. "I call the sofa bed."

**XxX**

Dean woke at the sound of a loud creak. He started, momentarily confused. It was dark in the room, and the bed he was in was more comfortable than he was used to, the linens smelling fresh and faintly of gardenia – he remembered his mother smelling the same way. He didn't hear Sam's distinctly nasal wheeze, or the rumble of trucks passing in the night. Then he remembered - he was at Audrey's.

He was fully alert now, checking the room for movement, listening for further sounds. Perhaps they'd missed a vampire, and it was now prowling around looking for _them_. Dean withdrew his bowie knife from beneath the pillow and climbed out of bed, making for the kitchen. As he rounded the corner, he was greeted by Audrey's backside. He watched as she stood on her toes, reaching onto a high shelf in the pantry, her tee shirt gaping away from her shorts, baring a few inches of skin and - what was that? Dean cocked his head, peering a little closer. He smirked; she had a little tattoo dipping down into the waistband of her shorts.

He leaned in the doorway, folding his arms across his chest. When she turned, she jumped, nearly dropping the container in her hands. He just grinned at her; her hair was tousled, but she looked wide awake. Dean hadn't heard anything after his head hit the pillow, but he was certain that when she led Sam upstairs to the guest room, it wasn't to tuck him in.

"Sorry to wake you," she began, closing the pantry door behind her. She laughed, "I have a standing midnight date with the Captain, and I couldn't ignore it any longer. I thought I was being quiet."

"Morgan or Howdy?" Dean asked, watching as she moved around to the cabinets and pulled a bowl down from one of them.

She turned and gestured to the container. "Crunch. You want?"

He shook his head, but laid his knife on the table, signaling his intent to join her.

"Well, there's probably some liquor in the sideboard if that's more your speed." She sat, pouring milk over her cereal. "You always sleep with a knife?" she asked, shoveling a spoonful into her mouth. "Or is my living room just intimidating?" she asked around the mouthful of cereal.

Dean smirked down at her as he poured himself a glass of Johnnie Walker on the rocks. "Never know when you might be surprised in the middle of the night." He grinned at her, sitting down to watch as she ate with vigor.

She caught his stare and stopped, her spoon hovering between her mouth and the bowl. "What?" She swiped at her face. "Do I have something?"

"No. You just seem _awfully_ hungry."

She brought the spoon to her mouth with a shrug. "Yeah, creature of habit and all that. Besides, I didn't eat half a chicken and two pieces of pie an hour ago."

"Oh, _sure_," he came back, grinning again.

She dropped her spoon into the remaining milk with a splash. "What? There's obviously something you're just dying to say. Spit it out so I can go back to bed."

He smirked. "As if you don't know. I'm glad, really."

Audrey rubbed her hand over her eyes. "Okay, I think _I_ might need that drink now. What's making you so glad, Dean? I could just read your mind, but I can tell you're just bursting at the seams to say something."

"You and Sammy. I'm just... it's a good thing."

She blinked and sat back into her chair. "Me and... oh! No! I mean no, we're not... we didn't... what makes you think _that_?"

Dean's eyebrows shot up. Was she really trying to scam him? His brother would be all smiles in the morning, why bother with the innocent act? He looked at her levelly. "I just figured..." he let the insinuation dangle.

She shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, I like your brother. He's very dear, but I don't know... he's just... it's not..." she shook her head and gave a sheepish shrug. "Sorry."

"No, don't be. I just thought, you know." Dean was taken aback. He'd been so _sure_. "Never mind."

She cleared her throat. "Well, this just got officially awkward."

"Yeah. A little. Funny, I'm not usually known for this," Dean returned with a laugh.

She snorted. "Let me guess, you've left girls in every town wondering when you'll call?"

He glanced up, feeling suddenly guilty. "Well, when you put it like that-"

"It sounds like the truth? Like a little less glamorous than the handsome drifter who loves 'em and leaves 'em?"

His eyebrows shot up, and he tipped a generous smile at her. "You think I'm handsome?"

She rolled her eyes. "I heard you think it. You don't think it's wrong? I mean, you ought to at least let these girls know you won't be back, you know. Do you really know how it feels to be left after... after that?"

Dean looked down, abashed. "But they know-"

"Sure they do," her voice had gone cold, sharp with anger. "But, when you don't end it, the wondering never stops."

He picked his head up, narrowing his eyes at her. "When did this stop being about me?"

It was her turn to look away. She stood and moved to the sideboard, pouring herself a generous finger of whiskey. "I should go back to bed," she said, settling back into her place at the table.

"I'm not stopping you."

She nodded, taking a sip. Dean was impressed that she didn't wince at the whiskey's strong bite. "So how'd you get into hunting?"

"Don't you already know?" he shot back.

Her full lips thinned into a narrow line. "I can't see _everything_, Dean, just what you're thinking at any given moment. And, like I said, I don't do it all the time. I consider it quite rude."

"Fine, well, it's complicated."

"I know complicated. Lay it on me, and no bullshit." She grinned, adding, "I'll be able to tell if you're lying."

Dean shrugged. "Not much to tell. You know, my dad did it. I picked it up. It's all I've ever done."

"And Sam?"

He looked down at his drink, swirling the amber liquid against the ice. "Sammy, well, he took a little more convincing. But, in the end, it's the same thing. It's what we're meant to do."

Audrey blinked, shifting in her chair. "D'you... d'you think I was meant for it?" Dean watched her swallow hard before meeting his eyes. She looked so desperate in that moment, her hazel eyes going liquid gold, pleading.

He shook his head. "No. No way. I'm sure it's just," he paused waving his hand irresolutely in the air. "A one-time coincidence."

She gave a tight nod, and took another drink. After a long, tension filled beat, she laughed. "Sorry, I'm just glad to have someone to talk to, you know? I mean, I can hardly call my dad and be like, 'Hey, Dad! I, uh, used that old sword in gram's basement to kill a vampire! How's Shirley?'"

Dean laughed along with her. "I know what you mean. It's kind of lonely."

She met his eyes over his last word, but just as quickly looked away. "Yeah. Well, I'd better get back to bed." She stood and turned to put her glass in the sink, running water to rinse it. Dean joined her, intent on doing the same thing. When she turned, she nearly collided with him.

He didn't know if it was just because she was in his space, electricity crackling along the narrow space between their bodies, or if he'd intended to do it all along, but he caught her upper arms and pulled her roughly to him, angling his mouth over hers for a hot kiss.

She pulled back a moment, searching his gaze. Obviously satisfied with whatever she saw, she stood and returned his kiss. He walked her backwards to the counter, and she pressed her body close until he lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his hips, urging him closer to her, until he groaned into her mouth. It became a whirlwind of hands, lips, tongues, heat until Audrey pulled away, panting, "Upstairs."

Dean grinned and spun, tugging her along behind him. They fell into her bed, clothes disappearing as they each met the other's touches. Dean soon found out that a girl who could read minds was indeed an asset in bed - she anticipated his every want, every place he wanted her touch, every way he wanted her to touch him. It also pushed him to figure out her secrets, teasing her until she moaned, kissing her everywhere until she arched against his mouth. For the first time in a very long time, he was utterly wiped out after they'd both come hot and hard, and he fell easily against her, finding peaceful sleep almost instantly.

**XxX**

The next morning, Dean awoke to the scent of fresh coffee perking and bacon frying. When he opened his eyes, he saw that he was still in Audrey's bed, but he was alone. Feeling oddly bereft, he tugged his shorts and tee shirt back on, and went downstairs where he was greeted with a scene almost disgusting in its domesticity: Sam was buttering a stack of toast, looking as relaxed as Dean felt, and Audrey was scooping fat pieces of bacon out of a cast iron skillet. Despite how easily the two of them seemed to be getting along, Dean's stomach rumbled and his fleeting jealousy was soon forgotten when Audrey greeted him with a bright smile.

"Good morning!" she chirped.

Dean took a seat at the table, "Good, indeed."

Audrey turned and clicked her tongue at him. "Now, now, Dean Winchester, around here, we work for our breakfast." She grinned and pointed at the refrigerator. "Get some orange juice, 'kay?"

Normally, anyone telling him what to do would have rankled, but he was feeling right and rare for once, so he smiled back and obliged her.

Sam grinned at him as he poured himself coffee. "She said the same thing to me, man."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm a real hardass." Audrey slid a plate of eggs, sunny side up, in front of Sam, handing another to Dean. "Sorry, this is the only way I know how to make eggs."

Both boys smiled, tucking into the breakfast with gusto. Around a mouthful of toast, Dean asked, "Did you have a good night's sleep, Sammy?"

Sam glanced at Audrey, and smiled at Dean. "Yeah. You?"

Dean nodded. "Yep."

Audrey laughed. "You two are world-class conversationalists, you know that? So, what're your plans for today?"

"You have a library in town?" Sam asked.

Dean snorted, but Audrey just smiled. "Yup. It's a few blocks over."

Sam nodded, tossing a glare at his brother. "I just figured since there's so much paranormal activity around here, it might be good to do a little research before we go. It's what my _Dad_ always did with his downtime."

Dean smirked. "You do that, Sammy. Uh, you have room in your garage, Audrey? I'd like to change my baby's oil. She doesn't get much attention these days."

She nodded. "No problem. I can just pull my car out. In fact, Sam, you can take it to the library. I've got some stuff to do around here today, anyway." Dean glanced up, meeting Audrey's eyes over the remnants of their breakfast.

Sam's lips thinned in the ghost of a grimace, but he nodded in agreement. "Sounds good. I, uh, I'll see you guys later."

After Sam departed in Audrey's Taurus, Dean caught her about the waist as she washed the breakfast dishes. "Something to _do_, huh?" he asked, kissing her neck. He felt her smile.

"Is there something about my sink that gets you all hot, Winchester?" she teased, turning in his embrace.

"Yeah, imagining you all soapy and wet," he growled, nipping her throat and pushing her against the countertop as he had last night.

She pushed him away with a laugh. "If you go out and see to your 'baby,' I _might_ bring you lunch later." She leaned forward, catching his mouth in a kiss. "_Lunch_ is my favorite meal, you know," she added, grinning up at him.

Dean leered down at her, pulling her close. "I've been known to eat _lunch_ in my day."

She smiled. "I'll bet you have."

**XxX**

Sam didn't return until it was almost time for supper, in which time, Dean had time to learn all about Audrey - twice. However, as soon as Sam entered the cozy living room where Dean and Audrey were curled up on the sofa, Dean felt a change in the air.

"Dean, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, Sammy. Whatcha find? I hope it's the last unicorn. I've always wanted to kill that thing."

Sam nodded toward the kitchen. "For a minute?"

Dean turned toward Audrey and rolled his eyes. "Sorry." He got up and followed Sam to the kitchen. "What is it?"

"It's Audrey."

After a long beat during which Sam did not take the cue to elaborate, Dean raised his eyebrows. "It's Audrey _what_?

"She's possessed."

Dean snorted. "Oh, alright. Because _that_ makes perfect sense."

"I had this really, really vivid dream last night. It was... well, Audrey and me, we..." He cleared his throat, looking meaningfully at Dean.

Dean waited a long moment for the punchline to Sam's joke, but when he issued none, Dean barked a laugh. "You think Audrey's possessed 'cause _you_ had a wet dream about her? Oh, Christ, man. You need to get some."

"Look, I know how it sounds, but I stumbled across it when I was researching the town. There was another case just like this a few years ago right near here. One chick, two guys. They killed each other over her, Dean!"

Dean rolled his eyes, and made to return to the living room, but Sam caught his shoulder. "Wait, there's more. The girl broke down after it happened, said she didn't know what happened. And guess what?"

Dean folded his arms and glared at Sam who just pressed on, "That woman is the local psychic."

"This is a fascinating story, really, Sam. But what led you hopping down the bunny trail to possession? She's been nothing but nice to the both of us. _She_ shouldn't be blamed if _you're_ jealous."

Sam set his jaw. "Did you wake up next to her this morning? Huh?"

"You know that I didn't. You two were downstairs."

"Exactly. 'Cause she was in my bed this morning."

Dean threw the first punch, surprising his brother. Sam soon recovered and swung at Dean. Both boys grappled for the upper hand, a difficult struggle because they knew each other so well, each anticipated the other's next move moments before it happened.

A female voice cut across the din of grunts and yells. "Stop it! The both of you!"

Not letting go of each other, they both stopped fighting to look at Audrey who was looking on in horror from the doorway. "What's the matter with you?" she snapped.

Sam let go of Dean's shirt and stepped away. He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and read from it. "_Dea Apate!_."

She laughed, "What's that? Greek? Latin? What's it mean?"

Sam went on, "_Ostendo sum vestri_!"

Audrey looked to Dean. "You know what he's saying?"

Dean shook his head, but as he looked on, he saw Audrey grow pale. She laughed weakly. "What's wrong, Dean? Why're you looking..."

Sam cut her off, reaching a crescendo as he finished his recitation, "_Quod absum_!"

Audrey doubled over, holding her head, and moaning in pain. Dean looked at his brother, then back at the girl. When she straightened, he could see that dark light dancing in her eyes once again. "Bravo, _Sammy_. You really _are_ the smart one. Now, did you read a little further down and find out that you can't kill a goddess?" her voice was rough, huskier than Audrey's had been, her tone colder.

"Apate, personification of deceit. You're an evil spirit from Pandora's box, not a goddess," Sam spat.

"Semantics." She grinned and crossed to him, caressing his face even as he pulled away from her touch. "Names didn't seem to matter much when I was making you scream mine over and over again last night without even touching you." She smirked up at him. "Just _imagine_ what it was like for Dean here."

Dean coughed. "You didn't..."

Audrey turned toward him. "You _do_ wear your heart on your sleeve, don't you?" She walked to him, rubbing her hands over his chest possessively. "No, I didn't, but _we_ did. Audrey really likes you, you know. I couldn't deny her completely, even if you aren't _my_ type."

Dean grasped her wrists and snatched her hands away from him. "Audrey's real then? You've... you've got her in there?"

She smirked. "Yeah, but you wouldn't like her, Dean. She's not nearly as fun as _I_ am."

He held her wrists firm. "I'll decide that." He glanced at Sam. "Go ahead. I'll hold her."

Sam shook his head. "I can't exorcise her, Dean. She's a goddess, however minor, and something is binding her to Audrey. We have to figure out what it is."

Audrey laughed. "Oh, he _is_ smart. Maybe Audrey picked the wrong brother."

Dean ignored her. "Binding?" He blinked - the tattoo! "She's got a tattoo on her back!"

Sam withdrew a slim blade from his waistband and approached Audrey, lifting her shirt to reveal a the word _aeternus_ tattooed on her flesh. Audrey screamed and writhed away, pressing herself closer to Dean. In her own voice, she pleaded, "Please, Dean! Don't let him hurt me!"

Dean closed his eyes, hardening himself to her. She screamed as the blade ripped into her flesh. Suddenly, she went limp and collapsed into Dean's arms. He shook her and looked up at his brother. Sam shrugged and just looked on.

Just as Dean laid Audrey on the floor, the room grew very hot and a white fog swirled around them. It was moving so quickly, it knocked a painting from the wall, tumbled the dishes left to dry to the floor with a crash, and cleared everything off the table. As quickly as it began, it settled, and as Dean looked on, Sam fell to the floor.

"Sam!" he scrambled to his brother's side, lifting his head to search his vacant stare. He shook him, but it did no good. Sam only stared blankly back. "Come on, wake up!" He rocked back onto his heels, still supporting his brother's head. He looked back to Audrey, who still hadn't moved, and when he looked down at Sam, he was blinking up at him.

"What happened?" Sam groaned, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head where it had thunked on the floor.

Dean laughed unevenly, still holding Sam's shoulders and giving him a shake. "Fuck, man. You scared the shit out of me. You alright?"

"Alright?" Sam scrubbed his hand over his face, wincing as he stood and stretched his neck. A grin spread over his features, twisting them into a leer. "Never better."

Dean stood and backed away. "Sam?"

Sam rubbed his hands over his chest and down his torso. "Hell yeah I am." He winked at Dean. "All this could come in handy."

"What's wrong with you?"

"I've never inhabited a guy before, but I can _so_ see the attraction," Sam replied, curling his hand into a fist and studying the muscles flexing beneath his tee shirt. "Yeah. So much better than Audrey's skinny little arms."

Dean blinked at his brother. "What the... get the fuck away from my brother!" He dropped to the floor to snatch the blade up from where it had fallen to the floor.

Sam wrinkled his nose. "Oh, please, Dean. Quit being _such_ a little _bitch_. You know, we have more in common than you think."

Dean raised the knife, but Sam just laughed. "Yeah, that's not going to work so well. I mean, unless you just want to carve up all this pretty _boy_ I've got on, that is. And I'd really prefer you didn't. He'll make an excellent trophy for _my_ brother when I'm done with you."

"Your brother?"

"Yeah, maybe you remember him?" Sam cocked his head to the side, pursing his mouth. "Momos, god of satire? You tried to kill him?"

"We _did_ kill him," Dean spat.

Sam laughed. It was that same tinkling laugh that Dean remembered from his first meeting with Audrey. "Oh, honey! You can't kill a god! You can only bruise his ego. And, in this case, piss off his sisters. When we found out some bastard tried to hurt my baby brother, well, you know all about wanting revenge, don't you?"

"You bitch," Dean hissed.

"Name calling? Really? And what do you think you can do to me? Without Sammy or Daddy doing all the research, you're just a loser with a sharp knife."

"Well, it worked on Audrey, right?" Dean fired back. He clenched his jaw and raised the knife, aiming for Sam's thigh. Before he could plunge the blade down, Sam caught his throat and threw him backward into the wall. He hit with bone-crunching force, knocking the breath momentarily from his lungs. As he struggled to regain his footing, Sam advanced, collecting the fallen blade and aiming for Dan's throat.

"Where should I start? Hmm? I don't know if my brother would rather have your head or your entrails - he's so fickle, you know?"

Dean opened his mouth to fire back an answer, but was interrupted by a female voice. "How about some jewelry?"

Dean looked over his brother's shoulder to see Audrey holding up a necklace.

Sam dropped the knife, "No! Don't! I swear, I'll-"

"Fuck you!" Audrey spat. She threw the necklace to the floor and stomped her foot down, grinding the pendant into the floor with her heel. Sam shuddered and was immediately surrounded by the white smoke and a loud female scream filled the room. Just as soon as it appeared, it was gone.

Sam wobbled on his feet and pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. "Christ, that hurt!"

**XxX**

The three sat around Audrey's kitchen table drinking coffee, even though it looked like a tornado had recently passed through.

"So, was everything you - she - told us a lie?" Dean asked, fiddling with the spoon in his coffee cup.

Audrey shook her head. "No. Almost everything was true. I never got attacked by vampires, though. She went out looking for them on her own. I guess she couldn't kill anything that was alive."

Sam nodded. "You're right. A demigod can't, at least, not without direct instruction from a higher god. D'you think she was setting a trap for us? You know, to lure us in?"

"I don't really know, as she was hard to understand. Real stream of consciousness BS, you know? But I think she was surprised when she met you."

Dean studiously avoided Audrey's gaze, and a tense silence descended.

Sam broke into it, "So you can really read minds?"

Audrey nodded. "Yeah. That's true." After a beat, she perked up. "Oh! And remember when you asked about my mom? Well, my mom _is_ living in Jamaica, but she and my father were never married. She actually left us when I was a baby, and my dad married another women when I was two. She was really nice to me, from what I can remember. She used to tell me that my mom was a fairytale princess who was cursed by a wicked witch, and that was why she couldn't take care of me." She laughed, but it was a sad sound. "Well, she had a baby when I was four. A little girl, Marie. They... they both died in a house fire."

Sam choked on his coffee. "When the little girl was about six months old?"

"Yeah."

There was another long beat until Dean pushed his coffee mug away. "Well, Sammy, we'd better hit the road if we're going to make it to that thing in Tulsa." He looked pointedly at his brother.

Sam nodded. "Yeah." After a moment, he scraped back his chair. "I'll, uh, I'll go make sure the car is... you know... um, ready." He smiled at Audrey, squeezing her shoulder as he passed. "It was nice to meet you. Take care of yourself."

"You too. Thanks for everything."

Dean stood, picking his way over shattered dishes to place his cup in the sink. Audrey joined him, but stayed noticeably far away. When he turned, he swallowed hard. She looked a mess as she'd cried silent tears when he bandaged her back where Sam had cut her. "What are you going to do now?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'll just try to deal with it."

"Well, don't go hunting vampires, okay? Just, you know, give me a call if you see any." He tried to laugh, but it didn't exactly work. After a moment, he said, "I'm sorry, Audrey."

She looked up at him. "For what? You... you made it go away."

"For what happened... between us."

"Oh." she ducked her head. "Don't be."

He lifted her chin, and smiled when he saw that her cheeks were stained deep red by a blush. He dropped a kiss on her forehead. "I meant what I said, you know. You can call me if you need something. I'm not a forever kind of guy, but I'm around. And I drive fast."

She smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Dean. I'll remember."

He kissed her goodbye, and walked out to the car.

The brothers were quiet until they hit seventy-seven south. Dean was the first to speak. "Dude, you were possessed by a chick."

"Screw you."

Dean turned to grin at his brother. "Actually, she did."

There was a long beat, before Sam piped up. "You know, if you hadn't saved me from the fire..."

Dean cut him off. "I know."

And they drove on toward Oklahoma.

**XxX**

**AN3:** As best as I can approximate, Sam's Latin incantation translates to: "Goddess Apate, reveal yourself and be gone" and "aeternus" means "eternal / without end."


End file.
